The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-10
FEELING AFTER A TRUTH. "


Atonement," f." in the last number OF the
Quarterly, and kindly offers to aid me
in finding the truth which he thinks
that am groping after. That truth, y
he says, sis that the atOnement of
! Christ has some effect upon God, as
well as upon man; that it propitiates, or
in some sense reconciles God to man,
as well as man to God" In my Quar-
terIy article, l state this truth in unmis-
taxable terms. l do not feel after it.
| take it for granted, on the authority
of the Bible, and make an effort to ex-
plain it. That which l am feeling
after is not the truth which DR.. Crane
thus states, but the proper interpreta
tion of it. Not protesting to have found
the whole truth in regard to it, shall be
thankful for any real assistance which
any person will afford me. But can
not say that DR.. Crane has really helped
me. For that which he offers for my
edification is not the truth, in my Opin-
ion, but simply familiar and time
worn fiction, with which l have been
acquainted for the last twenty years.
viz, that 'all the change possible to
God is in the form of his activity, that
''only in this sense can Christ work a
change in God," that primarily Christ
does not act upon God at all, ;" ana that
''tO this change of form must all Script
ure expressions be referred, that seem
to imply a change in God"
OF these assumptions the doctor pre-
sents no proof, though he gives US the
following syllogistic delusion Jus
tice is the form divine love takes to-
ward the sinful. Mercy is the form it
takes toward the penitent. All the
change possible to God, therefore, is in
the form Of his activity. His premises
are true enough, with qualifications,
but his conclusion is a non SeQuiter. 1t
is not involved in his premises, and
cannot logically be drawn from them.
Itis quite possible, and extremely prob
able, that God of love, who is also a
God of moral righteousness, should
change not only his form of activity,
but in some respects his feelings also,
in accordance with his children's CON
duct. 1t is not only true, as the doctor
says, that ''what God does, depends
upon what man is,'' but it is equally
true that how God feels toward human
beings, depends in measure on what
they are. AS DR.. Emerson admits, in
his review of my article in the Christ
ian Leader, of Aug. /; st must be con-
ceded, the moral mandate declares, that
when man is obedient, God looks on
him with appreciation, and that when
he becomes disobedient, the feeling
changes to that of disapprobation."
To assume that because God is a God
of Interchangeable love, he can undergo
no change of feeling, is to assume that
love is his only feeling, for which there
is not the slightest warrant in the
teachings of the Bible, or in those of
sound reason. Man, who is made in
Gods image, has various feelings of
spiritual and moral nature, all of which,
even though he perverts them, are de
rived from his Maker. And as a human
father, though continuing to love his
child, may be grieyed, and indignant,
and righteously angry-though not of
course vindictive toward him, so God
may be, and l doubt not is, as the Bible
says, really grieved and indignant and
righteously angry toward those who
harden their hearts against him, and
defantly transgress his laws. THE
wrath of the Lamb" is genuine wrath,
and represents his Fathers feeling.
l agree with DR.. Crane, to a certain
extent, that Justice is the form divine
love takes toward the sinful" But if
he means, as he apparently does, that
justice is merely the form which love
takes toward the sinful, l must part
company with him. Justice is not
merely form of loves activity, though
love makes use of it. 1t is a require
ment of the moral -abstractly, a
distinct idea practically, a conform
ity to the demands of the principle of
righteousness. 1t may exist and be
exercised, within certain limits. en-
tirely apart from love, as by a judge
upon the bench, in his official capacity.
That the demands of strict justice are
in the end the same as those of love,
and that loves wisest course is to act
with justice, cannot be disputed. 1t is
happily true. But that is a very differ
ent thing from making justice to be
merely a form Of loves activity. He
who regards it as such is in error, and
needs to feel for the truth somewhat
further and longer.
l will not take issue with Dr.. Crane
on his assertion that "auy idea that
Christ, by anything he did or suffered,
rendered God loving toward man, or
willing to forgive him, is rank heresy.'"
But will call his attention to this par
agraph in my Quarterly article
even so Jesus Christ is an advocate